Intel Core 3 304 vs Intel Core i9-12900HK
59.2Single-core60.5
30.6Multi-core51
93Efficiencyspec-based40.5
40.4iGPU55.7
37.2Platformspec-based59
3 spec wins — Intel Core 3 30414 spec wins — Intel Core i9-12900HK
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core i9-12900HK wins this laptop processor face-off, 53.5 to 49.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+20) and iGPU (+15). Intel Core 3 304 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 3 304
- 80% lower process: 2 nm vs 10 nm
- 67% lower Base TDP: 15 W vs 45 W
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i9-12900HK
- Stronger multi-core score: 51 vs 31
- Stronger iGPU score: 56 vs 40
- 500% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 1
- 300% higher threads: 20 vs 5
- 300% higher L3 cache: 24 MB vs 6 MB
General
| Spec | Intel Core 3 304 | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 2 nm+80% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | 15 W+67% | 45 W |
| Max TDP | 35 W | 115 W+229% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Intel Core 3 304 | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 5 | 14+180% |
| Performance cores | 1 | 6+500% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 8+100% |
| Threads | 5 | 20+300% |
| Base clock | 1.5 GHz | 2.5 GHz+67% |
| Boost clock | 4.3 GHz | 5 GHz+16% |
| L3 cache | 6 MB | 24 MB+300% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Intel Core 3 304 | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (1 Xe3-core) | Intel Iris Xe (96 EU) |
| iGPU clock | 2,300 MHz | 1,450 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Intel Core 3 304 | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-7467 / DDR5-6400 | DDR5-4800 / LPDDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 64 GB | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Intel Core 3 304 | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,407Bottom 40% | 2,450+2%Bottom 47% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,987Bottom 14% | 12,700+112%Top 38% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,765Top 43% | 1,810+3%Top 36% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 5,263Bottom 16% | 17,600+234%Top 23% |
| PassMark | 12,194Bottom 22% | 24,954+105%Top 33% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | 753Bottom 30% | 1,496+99%Top 43% |
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